Former MAFS star Ryan Gallagher has gone to war with The Bachelor’s Abbie Chatfield over her feud with his good friend, comedian Nikki Osborne.
Abbie, 26, had condemned Nikki on Instagram on Monday night, after the 40-year-old shared a tasteless meme comparing Covid-19 vaccine mandates to rape.
Her post, which she has since deleted, showed convicted sex offender Harvey Weinstein posing next to actress Lindsay Lohan, alongside the caption: ‘The original no jab, no job.’
Reality star showdown: Former MAFS star Ryan Gallagher (left) has gone to war with The Bachelor ‘s Abbie Chatfield (right) over her feud with his good friend, comedian Nikki Osborne
The meme compared workplace vaccine mandates to Weinstein’s ‘casting couch’ crimes and the wider Hollywood practice of actresses having sex with influential producers in exchange for film roles.
It wasn’t long before Ryan, 33, stepped in to defend Nikki, with whom starred on Channel 10’s I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! in 2020, sending Abbie a series of Instagram DMs accusing her of being a ‘whingey little girl’ with no sense of humour.
Abbie published several screenshots of their conversation to her Instagram Stories.
Divisive: Nikki’s meme, which she has since deleted, compared workplace vaccine mandates to Weinstein’s ‘casting couch’ crimes and the wider Hollywood practice of actresses having sex with influential producers in exchange for film roles. Pictured: Nikki Osborne
A furious Ryan retaliated by uploading a lengthy rant on his own Instagram Stories, in which he accused Abbie of ‘bullying’.
Criticising someone for making a rape joke is generally not considered bullying.
‘There’s someone online saying things, twisting words and saying that I believe in rape and stuff like that… like, come on. Let’s not get our Instagram bloody army and bully people like you do to everyone,’ he said, lying shirtless on the floor.
‘Like, Sam Frost. She had to delete her Instagram,’ he added, referring to Abbie’s recent posts slamming The Bachelorette star for coming out as unvaccinated and accusing the public of unfairly judging her.
Offensive: The meme showed convicted sex offender Harvey Weinstein posing next to actress Lindsay Lohan, alongside the caption: ‘The original no jab, no job.’ The disgraced film producer is serving a 23-year sentence after a jury found him guilty in 2020 of rape and sexual assault
‘You say you’re a feminist, and then you literally put every woman down on the planet. Tell me the last thing I put on here that put a woman down. I’m more of a feminist than she is. It’s just bullying. I’m just sick of it!’ he added.
Ryan went on to defend his pal Nikki, insisting she has a right to joke about anything she pleases – including rape and vaccines.
‘[Nikki has] got a sense of humour, and that’s her sense of humour. If she wants to joke about it, let her! If you don’t like it, f**king delete her! Block it. Just don’t watch it! Send her a message on Instagram and say, “I don’t think you should be doing that,”‘ he fumed.
Feud exposed: Abbie published screenshots of her heated conversation with Ryan via DMs
‘You say you’re a feminist, and then you literally put every woman down on the planet’: Enraged, Ryan retaliated by uploading a fiery rant to his own Instagram Stories, accusing Abbie of ‘bullying’
Ryan insisted that, while he may not see the humour in Nikki’s joke, there are plenty of others who do.
‘She made a bad joke – people do it. I never once said that joke was funny,’ he said.
Earlier on Monday, Abbie had shared a series of Instagram Stories directed at Nikki over the comedian’s Weinstein meme.
If you don’t like it, f**king delete her!’ Ryan insisted that, while he may not see the humour in Nikki’s joke, there are plenty of others who do
Response: In a series of videos shared to her Instagram Stories on Monday, Abbie began: ‘I don’t know if you’re anti vax, I will assume you’re not because that would be awkward for a live performer’
‘I don’t know if you’re anti vax, I will assume you’re not because that would be awkward for a live performer,’ Abbie began.
‘Imagine a female in the industry to think it’s funny to make fun of rape and sexual assault victims. Jokes about rape aren’t funny. Unless it’s about your own sexual assault as a coping mechanism.
‘Have you been sexually assaulted Nikki? If you have, what are you doing? If you haven’t, what are you doing? Have you got a friend who has been raped? Because most people have.’
Abbie continued: ‘Imagine a female in the industry to think it’s funny to make fun of rape and sexual assault victims. Jokes about rape aren’t funny’
Abbie went on: ‘So for you to sit there and make a joke likening the vaccine that is saving lives to rape…
‘I don’t know if you’re anti-vax but it’s a ridiculous joke. Likening the vaccine to rape is one of the most disgusting things I have seen in my entire life.
‘Imagine being so sh*t at comedy that you have to make fun of rape victims.’
Abbie went on: ‘So for you to sit there and make a joke likening the vaccine that is saving lives to rape… I don’t know if you’re anti-vax but it’s a ridiculous joke. Likening the vaccine to rape is one of the most disgusting things I have seen in my entire life’
Nikki posted a reply to the outrage on her Instagram Stories on Monday evening, writing: ‘Dear Mob, You’ve been misinformed. Your quarrel is not with me. I’m on your team. Warmest, Casting couch survivor’
The reality star then questioned why Nikki was using her large platform, and fame as the host of Channel Ten’s Just For Laughs, to share such material.
‘And being a female comedian in this industry, and making fun of rape victims, and still being able to host a TV show… Maybe try and muster up some empathy,’ the podcaster added.
Nikki posted a reply to the outrage on her Instagram Stories on Monday evening, writing: ‘Dear Mob, You’ve been misinformed. Your quarrel is not with me. I’m on your team. Warmest, Casting couch survivor’.
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Questions: The reality star then questioned why Nikki was using her large platform, and fame as the host of Channel Ten’s Just For Laughs, to share such material